Reviews

From the Roots Up by Tasha Spillett

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annetjeberg's review

4.0

Great follow up from the first book. Great story line, and great introduction to the reality of many urban indigenous youth.

Recommended

This one was not *quite* as emotionally impactful as its predecessor Surviving the City, for me personally, but still delves into important themes, and I'm glad to have read it. And, as with Surviving the City, the art is fantastic!

lilhill's review

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5.0

I love these books so much!! I cried through the whole thing. I love how they're educational but still tell a great story. And don't feel like they're geared toward white people looking to learn about history. These books have a great balance of being about Indigenous people today while still honouring those who came before us. They don't feel like trauma porn at all, just really realistic depictions of the struggles and the joys of being Indigenous. And i loved that this volume focused on Two Spirit and brought up issues surrounding gender roles and tradition/protocol. A very important conversation in this day and age. I really hope there's a volume 3!!!

bookbrig's review

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

This book and its sequel center friendship and family so well-they make for pretty emotional reads. This one veers a touch toward after-school-special territory, but not in a bad way. I think for some teens the conversation around gender and sexuality will be really basic, but for the right reader it could be a gentle introduction to new concepts. A quick but lovely read.

Content Warnings

atreegrowsinbooks's review against another edition

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5.0

I really enjoyed learning about two spirited culture and practices within the indigenous peoples. I will educate myself more on because I haven’t learned a lot of two spirited folks. I thought this series was very well done.

the_readingraven's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a great follow up from Volume 1. We see the same best friends and the current changes they are facing. This volume includes more insight on being a two-spirited person and a member of the lgbtq+ community as well as themes of grief and police brutality. I appreciate how the author is not afraid to speak out on these topics and be very open.

The illustrations are still beautiful and I’m looking forward to the next volume!

n1kk1's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

dashadashahi's review

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5.0

I really appreciated this book, perhaps more so than the first book in the series. They communicate "new" and important issues to young adults or older children in very accessible ways. The coloring of the final few pages was beautiful. I wish these books were longer.